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By Mike Hudson (Directory of Social Change 2003, ISBN 1 903991 43 9 £16.95 [£20.51 inc. p&p])

The non-profit sector in the US is significantly different to the UK. This book offers Mike Hudson?s conclusions from extensive research with CEOs of US non-profit organisations, foundations, academics, and consultants. While he does not address arts issues specifically, there is some sound material in the six core chapters, which should be of interest to arts managers at all levels.

The first chapter provides a useful categorisation of the components of ?Capacity Building?. The second, on ?Managing Performance? highlights the trend towards outcome measurement and its difficulties (don?t worry it looks like they haven?t solved this either). ?Exploiting Changing Patterns of Funding? has a particularly US perspective, but it clearly outlines funders? tendency to be increasingly demanding and involved in the organisations they support. It also offers an interesting introduction to Venture Philanthropy. The chapter on ?Strategic Alliances? has little direct application to the UK arts sector, where co-production is about as far as we are prepared to go. ?Leading with Integrity? summarises the key challenges of the successful leader (though remember that this is a survey of those self-same leaders; their practice may be rather different). ?Strengthening Governance? is worthy, but surprisingly lacking in originality.

Unfortunately the final chapter rather unexpectedly introduces new aims for the book, namely a comparative US/UK study and mutual US/UK learning opportunities. It does not do justice to either. As with Mike?s previous work, this is an accessible book full of clearly explained models, with helpful summaries and good references for each chapter. Well worth a read.

Review by Lew Hodges, Director of Finance and Planning, Arts & Business

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